vienna piccreativecommons.org/ Stefan Jurca

Austria was once the home to the Habsburg Court and its various empires, which means that  Vienna's city streets are practically littered with history. There is a lot to see, but thankfully there are plenty of apps to help visitors on their way...

Vienna Travel Guide and Offline City Map

The Vienna Travel Guide comes with detailed offline maps, in-depth travel content and popular places to see, as well as insider tips for the city. App users can browse restaurants and attractions that are near them on the map or sort through the categories based on ratings. The app allows for reviews or comments by both app users from abroad and locals. For those that are browsing the app before they even get to Vienna, the app allows users to plan trips around the city by bookmarking different attractions. This will also spit out how long it will take to visit all of these attractions via car or by walking, so visitors can manage their time wisely.

Via Vienna by Bus or Train

tramCreativecommons.org/ Serge Bystro

Usually when it comes to public transportation apps, smart phone users have to choose between whether to get the subway app or the bus app. Usually, they end up taking up space with both just so they can get around a city. However, the Via Vienna public transportation app has created a lovely marriage between bus and train. App users can select from bus or subway in order to get the location or have it pick the fastest way using any method of transport. The app tells users what routes to take, when they will arrive and when they can depart - making it probably the handiest app in Vienna. Not only is it an important resource for visitors to the city, but for the busy locals that live and work in Vienna. This endlessly useful app is available for free on the app store for Android and iPhone devices.

English to German Audio Translator

street signcreativecommons.org/ El Gran Dee

In the first district of Vienna, a very tourist-oriented district, many people speak English, but in the districts outside of that visitors quickly learn that English speakers are much less prevalent. Austria is a German speaking nation and it is best to learn a bit of German before heading there. However, the English to German Audio Translator brought to the masses by Odyssey Translator is a great phrasebook designed for travellers. There is a free version available on the app store for Android and iPhone devices that covers 250 essential words and phrases, but the complete version for $2.99 covers over 1,000 different phrases. The whole app works offline and even allows for English to German speech translation, where users can say what they want and have it translated to German. Obviously, this feature works a little better with the complete version as it has a bigger library to draw from.

Vienna

unicreativecommons.org/ Stefan Jurca

This is a travel guide that sticks to the point, as suggested by this simple, bold and right to the point app name of "Vienna". The Vienna app is a pocket travel guide to the city that is hosted all on the user's smart phone. Whether it is finding a cozy pub, one of the city's best restaurants or just wandering among the 18th century buildings in the streets, this pocket guide can help you find quality things of interest.

However, the best feature of this app is that it provides audio guides with augmented reality. With 10 different tours, it takes visitors to Vienna to all the must-see sights around the city. The app will give you a starting point on the map and once the audio tour has been activated, app users just follow the arrows on the augmented reality and listen as the app tells them a little history and information about the surrounding area and sights in question. This app is available for free on the app store for Android and iPhone devices.

Wien Isst Restaurant Guide

vienna restaurantcreativecommons.org/Restaurant at Grinzing

The Wien Isst Restaurant Guide is the most comprehensive restaurant guide app to the city, giving users an excellent overview and detailed information on all the best restaurants, bars, pubs and even the famous Wurstelstande (sausage stands) in Vienna.

Currently, the app highlights over 5,000 locations within the city and the area surrounding it. It gives all the essential information, such as opening hours, contract information and a detailed description of the establishment. It also allows for users to call or e-mail to make reservations right from the app interface. The app will also give detailed information on how to get to the restaurant, but sadly it does not come with a map interface for visual effect.

The app comes in two versions, a free version that does not allow for favourites bookmarking and has limited search features, and the full version for $2.99, which allows for full functionality. Unfortunately, purchase of the full version has to be renewed every year, although for visitors to Vienna, this isn't exactly a deal breaker unless they plan on making multiple trips. The app is available on the app store for Android and iPhone devices.

Vienna Shopping Guide

choc shopcreativecommons.org/ Richard Taylor

When it comes to fancy European shopping, Vienna is every shopper's dream. This becomes outrageously apparent when strolling down the city's premiere shopping mile of Mariahilfer Strasse. From specialty shops to antiques and boutiques, there is wonderful shopping to enjoy in the city.

This app shows all the shopping establishments in Vienna on a GPS map that focusses on your current location. Perhaps the most helpful function is that the app allows for reviews from other app users  so potential visitors will know how the service is and whether a visit there is worth it. This handy shopper's app is available for $0.99 on the app store for Android and iPhone devices.